According to established orthodontic techniques, it is well known to attach an orthodontic bracket to a patient's tooth. The bracket provides a location for attaching an arch wire and other orthodontic devices to facilitate movement of the tooth. According to established orthodontic techniques, it is well known to ligate an arch wire to the orthodontic bracket utilizing an elastic or metal ligature. In conventional orthodontic brackets, the ligature is wrapped around respective gingival and occlusal tie wings so as to overlay the arch wire at mesial and distal ends of the orthodontic bracket.
Typically, orthodontic brackets are made of a metallic material, such as stainless steel. These materials are commonly used because they are strong, non-staining, and relatively inexpensive. However, metallic materials can be cosmetically undesirable because they do not match the color of the patient's teeth, and thus the resulting brackets are very noticeable. To overcome the cosmetic difficulties noted above, manufacturers have developed brackets made from ceramic materials, such as monocrystalline or polycrystalline alumina. These materials can be developed to closely match or refract the color of the patient's teeth, thus resulting in a bracket that is less noticeable than common metal brackets.
Recently, designers have created self-ligating brackets that do not require a separate ligature for attachment of the arch wire to the bracket. One type of self-ligating bracket is supplied with a locking member that is movable between an open position, permitting access to the arch wire slot, and a closed position, inhibiting access to the arch wire slot. Self-ligating brackets substantially decrease the time involved in performing ligation procedures.